Inesite, Broken Hill, New South Wales

Mineral Matters #417

I found another addition to my Hidden Collection. But this time, not a mineral.

I have been photographing some inesite specimens for the next issue of the Monthly Mineral Chronicles and one of them is a single 6mm long pinkish-brown transparent crystal without matrix.

It has some interesting "inclusions". Towards the bottom are things that look a bit like the hexagonal wire fencing that we have used in the past around vegetable gardens and the like, known as chicken wire. These appear to be partly at and partly near the surface of the crystal.

These were not that evident under the microscope until after I had completed the photography, and fit nicely into my Hidden Collection!

Below: Inesite, Broken Hill, Broken Hill district, Yancowinna Co., New South Wales. 6mm long crystal. Click on the image below for a higher resolution version.

Below: Closeup of “chicken wire” 😆

Chicken Wire